Clip for antenna ball portion

ABSTRACT

AN ANTENNA MOUNTING ASSEMBLY FOR ATTACHING THE AUTENNA BALL PORTION TO AN APERTURED SUPPORT PANEL IN RESILIENTLY RETAINED BUT UNIVERSALLY MOUNTED POSITION, AND FOR THIS PURPOISE THERE IS PROVIDED A SNAP-IN TWO-PART MOUNTNG CLIP-ONE PART PROVIDING A SEMI-SPHERICAL DOME PORTION ENGAGING THE ANTENNA BALL PORTION AT A FIRST SIDE OF THE PANEL AND INCLUDING A SLEEVE PORTION TO PASS THROUGH THE PANEL APERTURE AND HAVING LOCKING EARS TO SNAP BEHIND THE PANEL AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE THEREOF, AND THE OTHER PART BERING IN THE FORM OF A SPRING TENSION FERRULE FLANGED TO ENGAGE THE FIRST SIDE OF THE PANEL IN OPPOSITION TO THE LOCKING EARS, AND INCLUDING SPRING TENSION ARMS INTERFITTING WITH SLOTS IN THE SLEEVE PORTION BETWEEN THE LOCKING EARS AND IN TENSIONED ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ANTENNA BALL PORTION IN OPPOSITION TO THE SEMISPHERICAL DOME PORTION. ADJUNCTS MAY INCLUDE A WASHER CARRIED BY THE SLEEVE PORTION REMOTE FROM THE BALL DOME PORTION WITH ELECTRICAL TERMINAL ELEMENTS, AND A RING TYPE SPRING CARRIED BY THE TENSION ARMS TO INCREASE THE SPRING TENSION THEREOF AGAINST THE ANNTENNA BALL PORTION.

Feb. 2, 1971 J. PESTKA MOUNTING our For!" ANTENNA BALL PORTION Filed Aug. 21, 1969 llllll l I L INVENTOK John A. Pesfka His AH 'ys United States Patent U.S. Cl. 343702 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An antenna mounting assembly for attaching the antenna ball portion to'an apertured support panel in resiliently retained but universally mounted position, and for this purpose there is provided a snap-in two-part mounting clipone part providing a semi-spherical dome portion engaging the antenna ball portion at a first side of the panel and including a sleeve portion to pass through the panel aperture and having locking ears to snap behind the panel at the opposite side thereof; and the other part being in the form of a spring tension ferrule flanged to engage the first side of the panel in opposition to the locking ears, and including spring tension arms interfitting with slots in the sleeve portion between the locking ears and in tensioned engagement with the antenna ball portion in opposition to the semispherical dome portion. Adjuncts may include a washer carried by the sleeve portion remote from the ball dome portion with electrical terminal elements, and a ring type spring carried by the tension arms to increase the spring tension thereof against the antenna ball portion.

The invention is concerned with an antenna mounting assembly for use with electronic equipment, such as television sets and the like, and wherein the ball portion of the antenna is resiliently retained and mounted in a support panel aperture for universal movement relative thereto. The mounting assembly is in the nature of a multi-part panel-engaging clip including a cylindrical sleeve portion telescoped within a spring tension ferrule. One end of the sleeve portion has a semi-spherical dome to engage a corresponding portion of the antenna ball portion and includes outwardly struck ears to engage the blind side of a panel when assembled with the panel aperture. The ferrule is provided with an outward flange to engage the accessible side of the panel in opposition to the ears when assembled with the panel aperture and with inward spring tension arms projecting through slots in the sleeve portion to resiliently engage the antenna ball portion in opposition to the dome portion.

An object of the invention is to provide such an assembly, with the antenna ball portion first assembled with the sleeve portion and then the ferrule telescoped with the sleeve portion, which may be snapped into the panel aperture as a unit with opposite sides of the panel engaged by the ears and ferrule flange and with the ball portion of the antenna resiliently gripped between the dome portion on the sleeve portion and the tension arms on the ferrule.

Another object of the invention is to interlock with the free end of the sleeve portion a washer element carrying electric terminals, such assembly further enhancing the unit handling characteristics by trapping the ferrule in the sleeve portion for snap in association of the assembly with the panel.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spring ring around the ends of the ferrule tension arms for added spring tension thereof against the antenna ball portion.

In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a transverse sectional view showing one form of assembly mounted in an apertured panel;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the sleeve, ferrule and terminal washer separated and in perspective; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 1 but showing a modified form of assembly mounted in an apertured panel.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawing, and particularly to FIG. 2, the elements of the assembly of FIG. 1 will be described below.

The sleeve 10 includes a semi-spherical portion 12 forming an antenna ball dome at one end of the sleeve. At peripherally spaced intervals, the sleeve is provided with outwardly extending locking ears 14, 14a, 14b struck from the material thereof. At offset similarly spaced intervals, the sleeve is provided with relatively wide slots 16, 16a, 16b extending from the dome portion and opening through the opposite end of the sleeve. Between the lower end of such slot and an adjacent locking ear, the sleeve is provided with peripherally spaced holes therethrough, such as shown at 18 in FIG. 2.

The tension ferrule 20 includes a substantially horizontal and outward peripheral flange 22 terminating internally in a depending peripheral flange 24. Spring tension arms 26, 26a, 26b project inwardly from the flange 24 at intervals spaced in accordance with the spacing of the slots 16, 16a, 16b in the sleeve 10 and are each of a width to be received in a corresponding slot '16, 16a, 16b, respectively.

The washer element 28- includes an upstanding central cylindrical portion 30 from which spaced flanges or ledges 32, 32a, 32b extend outwardly with the free edges thereof curved to complement the internal curvature of the sleeve 10 and with access recesses 34, 34a, 34b therebetween. Each ledge is provided with central cut-out recesses 36, 36a, 36b, respectively, from the inner edges of which electric terminal elements 38, 38a, 381), respectively, depend. The outer edges of each recess 36, 36a, 36b terminate in small projections 40, 40a, 40b extending slightly beyond the curved edges of the ledges 32, 32a, 3212, respectively, and spaced in accordance with the spacing of the holes 18 in the sleeve 10.

In associating the various parts with the ball portion 42 of any suitable type of antenna element 44, such as a rod type or telescoping sleeve type, for mounting in the aperture 46 of a support panel 48, the sleeve 10 is telescoped with the antenna rod to a position with the dome portion 12 contacting the antenna ball portion 42. The ferrule 20 is then telescoped over the sleeve 10 Withh the tension arms 26, 26a, 26b fitting in the slots 16, 16a, 16b, respectively. This assembly of parts, as described, may be mounted on the panel by passing the sleeve 10 through the panel aperture 46 with the ferrule flange 22 abutting the panel 48 and then urging the sleeve and associated antenna inwardly causing the ball portion 42 to stress the tension arms 26, 26a, 26b downwardly and outwardly permitting the locking ears 14, 14a, 14b, on the sleeve to clear the panel aperture and snap outwardly from their compressed positions to engage the panel 48 in opposition to the ferrule flange 22. Thus, the assembly is mounted on the panel With the tension arms 26, 26a, 26b pre-stressed to frictionally engage adjacent surfaces of the antenna ball portion 42 urging the upper semispherical portion thereof in tight engagement with the inner surface of the ball dome portion 12. In other words the spacing between the ends of the ears and the flange is such that the arms will be maintained under tension. The antenna ball portion 42 is thus supported under frictional drag with the dome portion 12 and the tension arms so that it will be maintained in its various positions of adjustment.

The terminal washer 28 may be assembled to the sleeve 10 prior to mounting the assembly to the panel,

as described above, in which case it serves as a trapping element to prevent separation of the sleeve and ferrule during assembly to the panel, or the washer may be attached to the sleeve after assembly to the panel if there is sufficient access on the blind side of the panel. In either case, the small projections 40, 40a, 4015 are snapped into corresponding openings 18 in the sleeve with adjacent curved edges of the ledges 32, 32a, 32b snugged against adjacent inner surfaces of the sleeve 10 for added stability and with the terminal elements 38, 38a, 38b depending below the sleeve 10. The opposite edges of each recess also terminate in similar small projections and these will project into corresponding slots 16, 16a, 16b 'i nf't he sleeve 10. However, the holes 18 may be arranged in pairs around the sleeve to also receive these additional projections with corresponding orientation of the washer relative to thesleeve.

In the modified assembly of FIG. 3, the sleeve 10 is identical to that described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2 and is associated with a modified form of ferrule 20 in which the outward flange 52 is arched upwardly to give added resiliency to the mounting. The tension arms 54, 54a, 54b on the ferrule 50' are associated with the sleeve slots 16, 16a, 16b in the same manner for mounting the assembly in the panel aperture 46 with the flange 52 engaging one side of the panel and with the sleeve locking ears 14, 14a, 14b engaging the opposite side of the panel 48. However, the free ends of the tension arms are reversely curved outwardly, as at 56, 56a, 56b, to receive therein a split spring ring 58 serving to urge the tension arms inwardly with added holding power and friction braking of the antenna ball portion. Of course, the terminal washer 28 may be associated with the sleeve in this modification.

What is claimed is:

1. A mounting clip assembly for association with an antenna ball to mount the same on an apertured panel, and comprising telescoped sleeve and ferrule elements with the sleeve element having a semi-cylindrical dome portion to engage the antenna ball surface to one side of the center thereof and with the ferrule element having tension arms projecting inwardly through slot means in the sleeve element to engage antenna ball surfaces to the opposite side of the center thereof and in opposition to said dome portion, said ferrule element having outward flange means to engage one face of the panel around the panel aperture to limit inward movement of the assembly relative thereto, and said sleeve element having outwardly inclined locking ears facing said flange means and compressible toward one another when passing through the panel aperture and snapping outwardly when passed therethrough to engage the opposite face of the panel in opposition to said flange means with the tension arms stressed in their engagement with the antenna ball when the assembly is mounted on the panel.

2. A mounting clip assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slot means in the sleeve element comprise spaced slots extending downward from said dome portion 7 and opening at the opposite end of the sleeve element to facilitate interfitting of the tension arms therewith for assembly.

3. A mounting clip assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the locking ears are struck from the material of said sleeve element intermediate the said slots.

4. A mounting clip assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a flanged Washer carrying electric terminal elements is interconnected'with the sleeve element adjacent the end remote from said dome portion.

5. A mounting clip assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the sleeve element is provided with spaced holes and the washer flange is provided with similarly spaced projections for snap fitting with corresponding holes to provide the interconnection between the washer and sleeve element.

6. A mounting clip assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tension arms on the ferrule are reversely bent to provide seats receiving a spring ring increasing the holding power of the arms against the antenna ball.

7. A mounting clip assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flange means on the ferrule is arched outwardly for added resilient engagement with the panel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ELI LI'EB-ER-MAN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. l74153; 343-4382 

